Sayings of the Week.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 6, 8 February 1911, Page 3

Sayings of the Week.

University Reform W DE condemned the spending of money for teaching classics. I 1 Music they did not want, or / Latin either, for there was nothing in Plato. University men were always in the rear, and it was easier for a porcupine to go backwards through a canvas hose than for a university man to go into polities.— Mr Vnderwood, M.P., Perth. * * * * A Dangerous Rival. Wool from the Argentine has been coming into favour on the English market during the past few years, and as that country is being rapidly developed and exploited, I think it is going to be a strong competitor with both New Zealand and Australia in the near future. The Argentine also has the great advantage that it is much closer to the Homo markets. tn fact, many iirne now prefer Wool produced in South America. There js not much difference in the quality, and I should say it was about equal to the Australasian standard.— Mr. Hill, exLord Mayor of Bradford. Budding Artists. A great deal of suffering is imposed pn school children and the public generally by the mistaken assurances of teachers and parents that they can draw or paint. The public suffers enormously tn a year by being called upon to look at {abominable creations in the form of colour that are alleged to be paintings. You are actually asked to buy them, and af you refuse you are looked upon as a ■barbarian; but if you did buy, then you should be severely punished for encouraging mediocrity and not extinguishing it. r — Mr.T.E. Taylor, M.P. Gradual Progress. We will go on gradually until we feel that our country is in touch' with the great American continent, the great-Can-adian continent, and in touch with the countries of the East, for upon this, in addition to the Old World’s markets, would depend to a very great extent the commercial future of New Zealand. — 'Sir Joseph Ward. « - r- • v Progress in Fiji. What struck me. most forcibly during iny trip through the islands is the wonderful forward movement in Fiji. I visited the main towns, Leviika, Suva, and Lautoka, and was truly astonished at the way in which they have recovered after the hurricane experienced in the islands about twelve months ago, while in common with, everything else the. banana trade is beginning to divert back io its old standard again.— Mr. TV. S. 'Tait, Drifting to the Towns. The modern tendency to drift into the towns was largely accountable for the Unfit. Nearly 77 per cent of the population of Britain lived in cities and towns. In New Zealand a few years ago the rural population exceeded the borough population, but to-day the position was reversed. In all the large cities the birth-rate was maintained mainly by the least fit.— Hon. Dr. Findlay. - « * * * Home ScienceWoman’s part in life is obviously to jnake the home all that it should be from the point of view of court orderliness, utility, beauty, health, and economy. We hope to teach our not only how to keep a house thoroughly. Clean, but also how to decorate artistically. We feel that we arc in a good position to carry it out.— Miss Hoys Smith, Professor of Home Science, Otago University. The Weaker Vessel. Some people were, foolish enough to think that the Divorce Court should treat men and women in the same way. This was not the case, and he hoped never would be the case. The Court was always ready to make allowances for the •weaker vessel. Woman was the weaker vessel of the two. Her constitution and habit of thought and feminine weakness might lead her to do things which might be excusable in her, but not in man.— Lord Justice Deang.

The Fool in the Family. I made too much a fool of myself to come back. I will be a parson. Goodbye for the present.— Mr. Norman Kiells, Hikurangi. * * # * Municipal Control. In Bradford (city population 300.000) the municipal authorities controlled, amongst other things, the gas, water, electric light rug, and tramways. In two years, from the profits of the tramways alone the rates were relieved to the extent of £40,000; this after making every provision for interest and sinking funds.— Mr. Hill, Bradford. Living Upon Calls. There were only two bullion-producing concerns in New Zealand which were paying dividends, and four or five more bad only gold returns enough to pay revenue expenses, after spending large subscribed capitals. The rest existed upon calls, and were kept going by the large body of the community tempted by the element of chance that always existed in mining. —- Mr. (t. Rhodes, Director Waihi G.M. Co.

Heavy-laden New Zealand. This year our debt will be increased by not less than £6,000,000. It was increased last year by £3,500,000, and the previous year by £4.000,000. All the time, notwithstanding our prosperity, which made the established taxes more productive, new taxes were being imposed. resulting in New Zealand being the most heavily-taxed country in the world, and our credit was being lowered in the world’s markets. — Mr. IV. F. Massey, M.P. * # * » The Labonr Party. There were members of the House well fitted to lead such a party — honest, earnest, unyielding, but the workers must be brave if the democracy were to be realised and New Zealand placed once more in the vanguard of reform.' Those who knew him did not need to ask which side he was on. He was on the side of the people—on the shlc of those, who worked hard and often got little for it, on the side of Labour as opposed to monopoly.— Mr. Hogg, M P,

The Influence of Science. No one who studied the movements of modern civilisation could fail to recognise the astounding influence that science, as well as skill, was increasingly bringing to bear upon the discovery and treatment of the hidden treasures of nature's endowments.—Lord Islington. • • • • Beet-growing. Farmers in America are paid five dollars a ton for beet at the factory. Each ton yields 12 per cent of sugar for sale, there is no waste pulp, and the leaves are fed to cattle. The molasses is used to make a composition for live stock food, and alcohol can also be extracted from the pulp. No more skill is required to grow beet than is required for carrots and mangolds. Deep ploughing is essential.— Mr. (I. .S'. Dyer. Political Jaundice. The Leader of the Opposition has been struggling for so many years to grasp power that he has become nothing but a complainer, and you become sick to death of hearing a man, who can never find any good thing in New Zealand, who declares that financially we are wrong, and that every piece of legislation is going to bring black disaster on fhe country. You do not get fail’ criticism. The man has got political jaundice, his bile duet lias overflowed, he is ill.— Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P.

Out of the Will. Persons who had sold out had no further right to address the directors upon the matter of the management of the Waihi mine. It was similar to a man taking action in an estate when he was left out of the will.— Mr. Masfen, Auckland Stock Exchange.

A Big Subject. Ask half a dozen of the most amiable ladies to go into a milliner's shop and agree as to the finest fiat. They wifi disagree. That, in a minor sense, is indicative of what you gel amongst 80 members of Parliament.— Sir Joseph IVard. • < • * Father Thames. While at Home he heard of a little girl who drank some Thames water and died. He also heard of a sailor who fell overboard into the Thames, and who died from the effects of a mouthful of the water he swallowed. In fact, if anyone wants to commit suicide, all he has to do is to take a drink of Thames water.— Mr. Lysnar, Christchurch. Life and Death. Much in a man’s life obviously depeftds on life; much, too, depends on death. Had Caesar or Marlborough died before middle age their military reputation would have been slender indeed. For how many men, on the other hand, had death come too late? What would have been the place in history of Napoleon 111. had Orsini been a successful assassin ? What that of Tiberius had he died at sixty? The authors who have survived themselves are as the sands of the sea; the politicians in the same case are less conspicuous, for they crumble into the House of Lords. — hard Rosebery.

Laying the Foundation. New Zealand was laying the foundation for social reform that could bo (copied with advantage by the other countries. In this new country they were steering clear of mistakes made in year* past by the older lands. — Sir Joseph IVarcl.